


Distance

by Yukito



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 20:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14552703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yukito/pseuds/Yukito
Summary: Lipton and Spiers have a moment alone, but not long enough.





	Distance

Speirs stormed into Company CP with a dangerous and dark look on his face. The junior officers in the room were speechless, finding excuses to leave the room as quickly and quietly as they could, which left Easy Company's former First Sergeant alone at the table with Speirs who was pretending to make coffee. Suddenly the metal pot and tin can full of ground coffee went flying off the counter as Speirs angrily swiped at the counter with his arms and made a frustrated growl.  
  
"..Sir?" Lipton watched from across the room, standing slowly. A person would have to be blinded not to see that something was bothering the Captain.  
  
"Fucking  _Grant_." Speirs growled.  
  
Things had only begun to trickle back to Company CP, but the way Speirs was acting, the rumours were true. "I heard he was wounded."  
  
"Shot, Lip. He was fucking  _Shot_." He leaned against the counter, arms locked out in front of him, and ducked his head. His hair fell slightly in front of his face, proof he needed another hair fun. "By a God-Damned replacement."  
  
Lipton pressed his lips together and took a step forward. "Got reports saying you found a surgeon."  
  
Speirs made an unintelligible noise somewhere between a grunt and snort. Grant would be fine, but it didn't excuse the replacement for what he did. The private deserved worst than begin shot.  
  
For a long moment they stood in quiet, Speirs leaning against the counter on his arms and Lipton watching him quietly like he usually did. Finally Speirs turned and looked at Lipton. Really looked at him. The first time he had since Hageneau. "This is what happens to soldiers when they don't have a war to fight."  
  
Lipton nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. He was too busy watching the other man's eyes. There was so much hurt there, so much pain that Lipton wanted to comfort. He took another tentative step forward. "They'll find their place."  
  
Speirs wasn't as optimistic as Lipton. He thought the men would rot here if they didn't get reassign or sent home quickly. It was like a disease, being stationary and without a purpose. But he didn't have the energy to argue. Not when Lipton was looking at him the way he was. His eyes sharpened and Speirs closed the gap between him and Lipton until they were a breath away from each other.  
  
"I can't live like this." Speirs said in a low voice. Whether he meant in Austria or something else, it was unclear, but the way he looked at Lipton caused Lipton's chest to tighten.  
  
He was so close. Lipton could almost taste him. All he had to do was lean forward and their lips would touch. He'd be able to feel Speirs' lips again, inhale his scent. The urge to touch was almost feverish. But their surroundings and the uniforms were unhappy weights against it.  
  
They hovered close, facing each other, breathing deeply as they held their gaze on one another.  _I want you. Kiss me. I've missed you._  Everything unspoken, everything left unsaid.  
  
Speirs took the final step forward, lips pursing, almost there, when -  
  
"Sirs!" A eager replace came bursting through the front door.  
  
Speirs followed through with the step, leaning to the side to pick up an arbitrary piece of paper with a list of troop numbers and supplies, then turned and walked toward a desk and sat down, pretending to read.  
  
Lipton watched Speirs' back for a moment in silence, face reserved and unreadable, before turning to the replacement and nodded, letting the replacement lead him out of the CP even if his thoughts would remain there for hours to come.


End file.
